Robert Bell's

Wines of Canada

Since 1992

 

Wineries of Osoyoos

and area


LA Stella Winery


Adega on 45th

9503 12th Avenue
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V1


The winery has a bell tower, set in a vineyard not far from Nk'Mip Winery over looking the town of Osoyoos. The 557-square-metre (6,000-square-foot) winery has thick concrete walls and a naturally cooled cellar, for 400 barrels, buried against the hillside. The interior’s public areas acquired the instant patina of age by having walls finished with Italian clay and tiles on the floor.
The winery’s European ambiance reflects the Portuguese heritage of the owners Fred and Pamala Farinha, and Alex and Maria Nunes

The winery sits high on the vineyard’s west-facing slope. The tasting room windows offer a grand view over the town and the lake. The 557-square-metre (6,000-square-foot) winery has thick concrete walls and a naturally-cooled cellar, for 400 barrels buried against the hillside. The interior’s public areas acquired the instant patina of age by having walls finished with Italian clay and tiles on the floor. (1)

A Nossa Casa é a tua Casa

Winemaker: Fred Farinha and Alex Nunes
Consultant Phil Soo





Blue Sky Estate Winery

11621 87th St
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V2


The winery is owned by Harpreet Toor and his wife Navpreet Harpreet was born in India immigrated to the Okanagan in 1998. He worked hard saved his money and bought an orchard in 2002. He realized he could not compete with producing fruit; in 2004 he pulled out the orchard he replaced the trees with 4.2 hectares (10½ acres) of vines that flourish on an ideal southeastern slope dropping toward Osoyoos Lake. He planted just four varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Viognier.

While growing grapes and selling them he also operated two Centex service stations. In 2011 he decided to produce his own wine

The beautiful Okanagan sky resulted in the naming of the winery

Winemaker: Navpreet Toor Wine Consultant is Christine Leroux






Bordertown Winery and Vineyard

9503 12th Avenue
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V1




Mohan Gill opened his winery in May of 2015 the culmination of a lifetime dream. Mohan and his family built their reputation as growers.

The name indicates that they are a short distance from the US/Canada border

Bordertown Estate Winery and Vineyard’s wines are made exclusively with fruit from our own premier vineyards

Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in British Columbia Wines 2016 for the 2013 Living Desert Red

In 2018 the winery added Cider to their portfolio

signature blend Living Desert Red.

Winemaker: Daniel Bontorin 





B3 Wines


Osoyoos


The wineries name was inspired by the rollicking adventures of three wily bears that live near the vineyards. They produce only three red wines Merlot, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir.

Owned by Artisan Wine Co

Winemaker:




Gold Hill Winery

29014, HWY 97
BC, Canada


The winery is actually located south of the Golden mile past Daedman Lake but north of Osoyoos Lake.
The owners are two brothers Sant and Gurbachan Gill. They have 65 acres of vineyards planted 2005-06.





Lariana Cellars

8310 2nd Avenue
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V1


A boutique-style winery featuring small lot, handcrafted wines from Osoyoos, BC owned by Dan and Carol Scott. The property was originally known as Shady Lagoon Campsite, the lakeside remains an RV Park while the upper portion has changed from orchard to vineyard. A garage-style winery is located alongside the 5 acre vineyard

Lariana is a name created using my parents names, Larry and Anna whom we purchased the property from in 1991.  This land has been in the family since 1968.

It was in 2007 that the decision was made to replace the orchard with grapes. The Hot, dry days and cool, crisp nights set the ideal stage for producing deep, flavourful varieties such as Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carmenère. In 2012, after three years of selling to local wineries, the Scotts decided to take the plunge and Lariana Cellars was born.

A signature grape is Viognier which is fermented and aged in a concrete egg. (See Okanagan Crush Pad) Only producing 200 cases. They also grow Carmenère

Winemaker: Senka Tennant
Philosophy: Using the best practices to grow high quality grapes, using extremely gentle equipment in making premium wine





Lakeside Cellars

4305 Main Street
Osoyoos, B.C. V0H 1V6




Located on the eastern shores of Lake Osoyoos. Lakeside Cellars was once a 14 acre cattle and agricultural farm. The property has has had a rich history. From cattle farm to orchards to winery. The  purchased Dhaliwals the propery in 2015.

Rick and Daniel Dhaliwals are the owners.

 

Winemaker: Rick Dhaliwals


LaStella Winery

8123 – 148th Street
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V0



 


La Stella was created to be the embodiment of the Tuscan way of life. Simple, yet refined. Humble, yet proud. For us, we are making more than wine. We are making a statement. We are making our own fun. We are making something different yet reassuringly familiar. The winery was named after the owners daughter LaStella the name is Italian for little star

LaStella's impressive architecture – including the main building with tower, a patio, wine shop and tasting room – features Venetian hand-blown light fixtures, Italian herringbone tile, and antique furniture, and a rare blue granite bar top that fairly glows with its satiny natural hue of navy blue. It is the only waterfront winery in Osoyoos with a dock designed for visitors.

Wines already available include Vivace (a Pinot Grigio), La Stellina (a Merlot rosé), and Allegretto (a Merlot). LaStella's flagship wine, Maestoso (a Merlot), will be available starting this fall.

In the vineyards they do a blend of organic and biodynamic practices which we call 'non-interventionism'. Along with their Sister Winery; Le Vieux Pin, they have around 50 acres of small parcel, prime vineyards in Oliver's Golden Mile and Black Sage Bench District as well as vineyards in Osoyoos Lake District. They have very distinct soil composition between their vineyards from very sandy to high gravel content to heavy clay with loam that result in very unique and distinctive wines. LaStella is a two level winery that uses gravity to transfer the wine through its evolution from grape to bottle.

After the multiple sorting and quality control, the grapes then slide down a stainless steel chute to fermentation vats on the next level for a temperature controlled fermentation. They use a combination of small batch temperature controlled stainless steel fermentors and small open top oak fermentors. They then let their wines comfortably rest in some of the finest French oak barrels which are kept in their temperature and humidity controlled cellar to ensure optimum aging.

Signature wine: Merlot; Maestoso, merlot Rose LaStellina


Winemaker : Severine Pinte
Philosophy: 80% of the wine is made in the vineyard using low input viticulture Followed by whole berry fermentation with a healthy pre-fermentation maceration

Owned by Enotecca Winery and Resort

 


Liber Farm and Winery Inc.


14000 Hwy 97
Osoyoos, B.C. 
V0H 1V2


 The vineyards Located on the beautiful banks of the Similkameen River. The winery owned by Nicole and Mike Dowell opened in 2017. Liber Farm, named after the Roman god of wine, viticulture and freedom, is one of the oldest organic farms in British Columbia dating back to the 1960’s. 7 acres, of the 14-acre farm are planted with Chardonnay and Merlot and have been farmed organically since planting in 2007. The vineyards are planted on east to west slopes and overlook the Similkameen River. The river breeze moderates the otherwise warm site, which receives long hours of morning and evening sun. This helps develop complex flavours while retaining high levels of natural acidity in perfect balance.

A new tasting room opened in 2021 on Hwy 97 north of Osoyoos.

“Our love for wine, the quiet farm life and the excitement of producing from the land made us take the plunge and purchase the property. As soon as we found the site, did some research, and tasted the wine, we knew we had found some real potential. The peaceful and picturesque location is not too bad either,” says owner Mike Dowell. “Our goal is to keep production to around 2000 cases so that we can focus on small lot, hands on winemaking.”


Pascal Madevon, is the consulting viticulturist and winemaker

Winemaker:
Philosophy:



Moon Curser Vineyards

 

3628 Highway 3 E.
Osoyoos, B.C. V0H 1V6




Originally launched as Twisted Tree by Chris and Beata Tolley Having concluded that name is bland, they engaged Vancouver market Bernie Hadley-Beauregard (who created Blasted Church and Dirty Laundry) to re brand the winery. He came up with Moon Curser, a reference to gold rush-era smugglers cursing the full moon when it stopped them sneaking over the border at night to avoid duties on their gold.

They have a very nice location sitting on the hill overlooking the town and the lake.

They grow tannat (the red of Uruguay ), carmenère, tempranillo, roussanne, marsanne, and viognier.

At the 2021 British Columbia Lieutenant Governor’s Wine  Awards they recieved 5 medals. At the they recieved 12 medals at the All Canadian Wine Championships Wow.

Winemaker: Chris and Beata Tolley


Nk'Mip Cellars

1400 Rancher Creek Road
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V0

 


Nk'Mip (pronounced ñk-meep) Cellars, North America's first aboriginal owned and operated winery, is a joint venture between the Osoyoos Indian Band and Vincor International, opened in August 2002. NK'Mip, in the Okanagan Language means "where the Creek (Wolfe Creek) meets the Lake(Lake Osoyoos)"

Nk'Mip wines include a Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Merlot. The age of the vines is reflected in the depth and complexity of these wines. The grapes were sourced from the Bands' 243 acre Inkameep Vineyard, first planted in 1968. A newly planted vineyard, surrounding the winery, includes Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The winery is the second phase of a $25 million Nk'Mip project that will see the development of the winery, an all season RV park, an executive nine hole golf course, and an accommodations and conference hall on a 1,200 acre parcel of the Band's land that adjoins the town of Osoyoos and fronts onto Osoyoos Lake. The lakeside property is as beautiful as any in the Okanagan and enjoys long, hot summers and relatively short, mild winters with minimum rainfall. Those who grew up spending summers in Osoyoos will likely remember the original campsite location, which has now been transformed.

Signature wines are Qwam Qwmt Varietals. Qwam Qwmt in the Okanagan language translates to "achieving excellence"

Nk'Mip Qwam Qwmt Riesling Icewine 2012 received a score of 100 by wine expert John Schreiner.


Winemaker: Randy Picton
Philosophy: It is a point of pride for the band to produce top quality wines


Osoyoos Larose

PO Box 1650, Highway 97
Oliver, BC V0H 1T0


Groupe Taillan of Bordeaux, France, and Vincor International, based in Ontario, Canada, formed a joint venture partnership in 1998 to develop vineyards and a small winery dedicated to the production of Canadian VQA wines, that would meet if not exceed the rigorous standards of their Bordeaux counterparts. Wines would be made from the classic Bordeaux varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Today the winery is owned soley by Groupe Taillan .

The wine’s name, Osoyoos Larose, reflects the partners’ roots in France and Canada. “Osoyoos” refers to the location of the vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, on the mountain slopes above Lake Osoyoos. “Larose” refers to one of Groupe Taillan’s most prestigious estates in Bordeaux, the “deuxième cru” (second growth), Château Gruaud-Larose, which in itself reflects the centuries-old winemaking traditions of the world famous wine region.

The Osoyoos Larose 60 acre vineyard located in the centre of Canada’s western province, British Columbia,which the partners started to plant in 1999. Lake Osoyoos lies within the southernmost part of the Okanagan Valley, located on the 49º latitude, just north of the US/Canada border. The vineyards are ideally located on the western slopes of a north-south ridge facing east. Here they enjoy intense sunlight, minimal rainfall, and good air drainage. The proximity to the lake provides cooler temperatures in the evening which promote better photosynthesis for the vines, and a warming effect during the colder winter weather.

 Caroline Schaller is the  executive manager and winemaker since July 2017. Her main task is to acquire a site for a winery and tasting room on or near the 80-acre Osoyoos Larose vineyard in the south Okanagan.

No tasting room.

Osoyoos Larose Estate Winery will finally own its own winemaking facility, two decades after making its first vintage in 2001. The winery, has recently purchased the former Fernandes packing house, a 32,000-square-foot building at the east end of Osoyoos beside Highway 3. Because extensive renovations are required, the winery does not expect to make a vintage there until 2022.

Winemaker: Caroline Schaller, Benoit Giroussens, 




Mythology Vineyard 

Sonora Desert Vineyard


10238 106th Avenue,
Osoyoos, BC

 




Located just north of Osoyoos Sonora Desert Vineyard is a partnership between winemaker Mark Simpson and Teresa Centanni. The estate features a 3.75-acre old vines vineyard with Merlot and Tempranillo planted, a 7-bedroom Inn, boutique winery, and craft distillery, all set just 5km north of Osoyoos in the spectacular Sonoran Desert, Western Canada’s only recognized semi-arid region.

Home of Siren's Call Wines

 



Young & Wyse Collection

9503 12th Avenue
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1V1


The winery is owned by Stephen Wyse former winemaker at Burrowing Owl Winery and his partner Michelle Young.

The vineyard is located on a bench, overlooking beautiful Osoyoos Lake. The planting is on sloping terraces and consists primarily of sandy loam soil. The southwesterly exposure offers long days of sunlight hours. The cooling effect from the lake balances the heat from the day, which is optimal for grape and vine growth. All of the wines are produced from fruit grown at their vineyard

The Young & Wyse Collection simply is: The Heart, The Soul, and The Soil.  Young & Wyse are pleased to present their limited collections of handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Black Sheep, a proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. The collection of whites include a Viognier, Pinot Gris and an Amber, a proprietary blend of Viognier, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. Most recently,  a Rosé  has been added to their collection, a blend of Zinfandel and Viognier.

Winemaker: Steve Wyse
Philosophy: With a strong commitment to tradition and dedication, along with an in depth understanding of new world winemaking techniques, Y&W are committed to nurturing every aspect of the time-honoured tradition of grape growing and winemaking

(1) John Schreiner - Okanagan Wine Tour Guide 2014

Please report typos

~ Osoyoos Lake Bench ~ The Golden Mile ~ Similkameen Valley ~ Okanagan Falls ~ Skaha Lake
~ Naramata Bench Summerland and Peachland ~ Mount Boucherie ~ Kelowna and Lake Country
~ Northern ~ Kootenays ~ Thompson River Valley ~ Black Sage

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